1988 T&G Aviation DC-7 incident

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The T&G Aviation DC-7 incident was a civil aviation disaster that occurred on Thursday 8 December 1988. Two DC-7 planes flying on a locust-control mission on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development were attacked en-route from Senegal to Morocco by POLISARIO troops who may have mistaken them for Moroccan military C-130 aircraft.

Both planes were hit by 9K32 Strela-2 MANPADS missiles. One crashed, killing all 5 on board, the other managed to land despite losing an engine [1]

Incident

In 1988, an American team was mobilized as part of a locust control mission in West Africa. On December 8 of the same year, two planes owned by T&G Aviation were commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development to spray the locusts. Taking off from Dakar-Yoff Airport in Dakar, Senegal, their goal was to land at Agadir-Inezgane Airport in Agadir, Morocco, to support efforts against locust spread in the Souss region. [2]

Both Planes were following their flight plane on Airway Red 975 at an altitude of 11,000 feet and were flying 1.5 miles apart. The planes were attacked with 9K32 Strela-2 missiles by POLISARIO troops. The main aircraft (N284) lost an engine and a wing, and then crashed near the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall, killing all 5 crewmembers on board. [1] The other aircraft (N90804) lost an engine and a part of a wing but managed to land in Sidi Ifni. American sources stated that it is possible that the attackers mistook the planes for Moroccan military aircraft. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Douglas DC7 crew of 5". aviation-safety.net. aviation-safety.
  2. 1 2 "Histoire : En 1988, le Polisario a abattu deux avions américains".

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